MLB Player News

The Blue Jays confirmed Scherzer (forearm) as their starting pitcher for Sunday's game against the Twins in Toronto, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Toronto received some rare good news for its injury-ravaged rotation, as Scherzer looks like he won't end up missing a turn after he had been contending with right forearm tendinitis leading up to his most recent start in Monday's loss to the Dodgers. Though Scherzer was removed when the injury flared up after he pitched just two innings, he's apparently responded well to treatment over the last couple of days. Barring a setback coming out of his between-starts bullpen session Friday, Scherzer should be able to handle a relatively standard workload Sunday.

Avila is available to pitch out of the Royals' bullpen beginning Wednesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Avila struggled in a spot start Saturday versus the Brewers, yielding five runs on eight hits and three walks in three innings. There's no longer a need for him in the rotation, but with the Royals' bullpen a bit short-handed, Avila will help out in relief for now rather than rejoin the rotation at Triple-A Omaha.

The Rays placed Rasmussen (personal) on the paternity list Wednesday.

Rasmussen had been slated to start Tuesday's game against the Cubs, but he ended up being scratched hours before first pitch after his wife went into labor sooner than anticipated. Tampa Bay didn't have a player available to replace Rasmussen on the roster Tuesday and opted to wait until Wednesday to deactivate him, with Jesse Scholtens now being recalled from Triple-A Durham in a corresponding move. Rasmussen will rejoin the Rays no later than Saturday, and he'll likely be in line to make a start at some point during the team's weekend home series versus the Yankees.

DeGrom said Wednesday that his injured right knee is feeling better, and he expects to be ready to start when his next turn through the rotation comes up this weekend against the Dodgers, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.

DeGrom experienced discomfort in his right knee during his most recent outing Monday against the Mariners, prompting the Rangers to send him in for a precautionary MRI. The MRI revealed no structural damage, and with deGrom's knee having already shown improvement, the right-hander appears to be on track to avoid a stint on the injured list. The Rangers will likely wait and see how deGrom fares during a bullpen session later this week before locking him in for his next start, which will likely come Sunday.

Povich will start Sunday's game against the Giants, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.

After Brandon Young made a spot start in place of the injured Zach Eflin (elbow) on Monday, it will be Povich getting a turn this weekend. Povich made one extended relief appearance Sunday against the Pirates, allowing two runs on four hits and a 2:3 K:BB over 5.2 innings. The left-hander will have an opportunity to make additional starts if he pitches well.

Peralta did not factor into the decision Tuesday against the Diamondbacks, allowing three runs on three hits and three walks while striking out five over 4.2 innings.

Peralta cruised through the first four innings, keeping Arizona off the board, but he ran into trouble in the fifth. Despite opening the frame with consecutive strikeouts, a single and two walks loaded the bases and forced his exit, and all three inherited runners eventually came around to score. The right-hander needed 101 pitches to record just 14 outs, as Arizona consistently extended at-bats with foul balls, and a fielding error behind him added to the pitch count. While the strikeout ability was there, inefficiency and an inability to finish hitters ultimately cut his outing short. Peralta now owns a 4.80 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 19:5 K:BB across 15 innings this season.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Wednesday that Oviedo will be shut down for six week after being diagnosed with a right flexor strain, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Cora is optimistic Oviedo can avoid surgery, but the Red Sox will have to wait and see if the injury heals with extended rest. Oviedo will need plenty of time to get ramped back up after the six-week shutdown period, so he'll be in line for an extended absence, even if all goes well during the recovery process. The righty is already on the 15-day injured list and is a candidate to shift to the 60-day IL if/when Boston needs to free up a spot on its 40-man roster.

Gallen did not factor into the decision Tuesday against the Mets, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits and four walks while striking out five over five innings.

Gallen ran into quick trouble, allowing three consecutive singles to open the game, but he managed to limit the damage to just one run on a sacrifice fly. The right-hander settled in nicely after the rocky start, allowing only two hits over his final four innings while pitching effectively through traffic. Though he wasn't especially efficient, issuing four walks and needing 95 pitches (54 strikes) to get through five innings, he kept Arizona in position to win before the bullpen let the lead slip away. Gallen now holds a 3.00 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 9:6 K:BB through his first three outings of the season.

Rogers did not factor into the decision Tuesday against the White Sox, allowing two runs on six hits and striking out six over six innings. He did not issue a walk.

Rogers continued his strong start to the season Tuesday, turning in his third consecutive quality start. The 28-year-old's only damage came in the third inning when he allowed three straight hits, but he kept his composure afterward and stranded runners at the corners in both the fifth and sixth to limit further scoring. The left-hander now owns a 1.89 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 14:5 K:BB across 19 innings of work and will look to keep things rolling in his next scheduled outing against Arizona.

The White Sox selected Schweitzer's contract from Triple-A Charlotte on Wednesday.

Schweitzer has made a full-time move to the bullpen this season, allowing one run with a 4:0 K:BB over his first five innings with Charlotte. The left-hander will be making his major-league debut when he gets into a game.